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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Afghan bomb 'kills four soldiers' | Afghan bomb 'kills four soldiers' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Four coalition soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, the US military has said in a statement. | Four coalition soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, the US military has said in a statement. |
| An Afghan civilian who was working with the troops was also killed when their vehicle struck the device during an overnight patrol, the statement said. | An Afghan civilian who was working with the troops was also killed when their vehicle struck the device during an overnight patrol, the statement said. |
| No details of the nationalities of the troops have been released so far. | No details of the nationalities of the troops have been released so far. |
| In a separate incident in Helmand, the US military said 16 militants had been killed by coalition and Afghan forces. | In a separate incident in Helmand, the US military said 16 militants had been killed by coalition and Afghan forces. |
| Taleban weapon | |
| The US military said it would not give details of the soldiers who were killed until their families had been informed. | The US military said it would not give details of the soldiers who were killed until their families had been informed. |
| "Four coalition members were killed today in southern Afghanistan when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device," the US military statement said. | |
| Such improvised bombs that target convoys are commonly used by the Taleban. | |
| Southern Afghanistan has been the centre of a Taleban-led insurgency since the US invasion in 2001. | Southern Afghanistan has been the centre of a Taleban-led insurgency since the US invasion in 2001. |
| US forces spokesman Col Greg Julian said the engagement in Helmand that led to the militants' deaths had dealt another blow to the insurgents' ability to operate in the province. | US forces spokesman Col Greg Julian said the engagement in Helmand that led to the militants' deaths had dealt another blow to the insurgents' ability to operate in the province. |
| A US military statement said a convoy of Afghan army and coalition soldiers had come under "heavy and accurate small-arms fire from numerous militant fighting positions". | |
| They initially responded with gunfire but called in air strikes as the attack escalated. | |
| No soldiers or civilians were reported to be injured after that skirmish. | No soldiers or civilians were reported to be injured after that skirmish. |